Allie Ostrander was named the 2018 Mountain West Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Student-Athlete of the Year on Thursday, as voted on by the league’s coaches. With the announcement, Ostrander becomes the first women’s athlete in conference history to win the award in back-to-back years.

Dating back to 2014 when Emma Bates earned the same honor, a Bronco has won three of the last five years.

Ostrander, a redshirt sophomore, successfully defended her 3,000-meter steeplechase title last week in Eugene, Oregon, at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, with a time of 9 minutes, 29.28 seconds.

She became just the second back-to-back women’s steeplechase champion in NCAA history, joining Jenny Barringer (Simpson), who did it running for Colorado in 2008 and 2009. Because Barringer went back to back as a junior and a senior, Ostrander became the first to accomplish the feat in underclass seasons.

Eighty minutes after repeating as champion, Ostrander earned a point in the 5,000-meter steeplechase after taking eighth in a time of 15:46.50. The 11 points from Ostrander put the Bronco women in a tie for 25th in the standings.

Ostrander accounted for 18 points at the Mountain West Outdoor Track and Field Championships after taking second in the 1,500-meter race (4:20.82) to teammate Alexis Fuller and placing first in the 5,000-meter race after crossing the line 15:44.11 for a decisive victory.

Ostrander’s lead up to nationals couldn’t have gone smoother at the NCAA West Preliminary Championships, as she took fourth in the 5,000m thanks to a season-best 15:27.46 and took first in the 3,000m steeplechase with a 9:40.20.

She now has eight career All-America honors to her name with her finishes in the steeplechase and 5,000m at nationals. Five of those honors came in 2017-18 between cross country, indoor track and field and outdoor track and field.